Truth or Dare
by LoveMeHugMeKissMeMissMe
Summary: Hermione's been doing something late at nights that would cause her to die if her friends found out about. Truth or Dare is the name, but controling her feelings are the game. Can she keep her secret when it's all she can think about? You wanted it, here
1. Chapter 1

So since you all want to see Truth or Dare I have decided to make a story just for the game. Anything you want to see or hear (which is actually the same as seeing, lol), but I want more reviews for Let Her Go. It is my fave story and has almost NO reviews, 

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the contents of any of J.K. Rowling's amazing books

This book is NOT HBP. I love that book and absorbed it's contents in one day…several times, but it kills nearly everything I want to happen…. In fact, I don't even know what year ii want this to be, but don't worry. I will hopefully make a decision by chapter two.

Chapter One: Not The Same

Hermione scanned the dark corridor, making sure that no one saw was there. She hurried down the corridor and found what she was looking for. She slowly turned the doorknob and stepped into the room where he was waiting for her.

"It's about time," he told her as she removed her cloak and took a seat on the other end of the couch.

"I'm here, aren't I?" She hissed at him. She didn't want anyone to hear them. No one knew about their nightly meetings.

"Whatever," he replied, leaning back in the arm of the comfortable couch. "So whose turn is it?"

"Mine," she whispered. He nodded his head. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"Malfoy, you are an insufferable git," Hermione sighed. "Am I ever going to learn anything about you?"

"Not after I told you about Mr. Fuzz Fuzz." Draco tried not to smile. So what if his imaginary friend was a teddy bear named Mr. Fuzz Fuzz and 'carried around' until he was six?

"Okay," Hermione put her hands up in defeat. "So what haven't you done?"

"And remember the rules," he smirked at her. "You _are_, after all, the one who came up with them."

"I dare you to let me see your list" Hermione finally said after some thought.

Draco hesitated before reaching into the drawer in the table beside him and handed it over to Hermione.

"Y'know, I wish you would say truth for once," Hermione told him, taking the book from his hand.

"But then what fun would it be when you can't watch me do stunts on a broom?" he teased.

Hermione laughed. "I'm serious. I know nothing about you."

"Well if you're lucky then maybe on your next turn I might say truth," he winked at her before adding in, "if you let me teach you to fly."

Hermione rested her head on the back of the couch, curling up against the armrest and sighed. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" Draco asked, putting a blanket over Hermione's body.

"Why are you playing this game with me? We do it every night and yet I'm still no closer to getting to know you."

"I want the book back tomorrow night," he whispered, standing to leave. Their meetings never lasted too long now. In the beginning they would last until nearly two in the morning. The dares were insane and the truths were fun, neither one taking it seriously. When they realized how close this ritual was bringing them they began to shorten. They would come to the room, whoever arrived first would set it up (being the Room of Requirement) and just wait for the other to come quietly. They would take turns each night asking 'truth or dare' and would leave afterwards. It was too late to stop, but not long enough for them to let anyone know what they were up to, not that they even thought they ever would.

Hermione watched Draco leave the room, quietly closing the door behind him. She sighed as her head rolled back into the couch. When this all began both were somewhat cynical, sarcastic and cruel (but playful). Neither one ever wanted to hurt the other, just blow off a little steam maybe, and this was a good chance. She thought about how much things had changed since their first encounter in the Room of Requirement three weeks into the school year, a little over four months ago.

Standing up, Hermione grabbed her cloak and threw it on, not even knowing why she even bothered taking it off. One of them was going to leave before she even had enough time to warm up. She looked around the room before closing the door, letting the room disappear until the next night.

A/N Short and Sweet. Review!


	2. Ante Up

Chapter Two: Ante Up

Hermione snuck back into the common room. It was only twelve-thirty, and the room was just crowded enough for no one to notice her walking through the portrait hole so late after curfew. There was a fire in the fireplace despite the warm December night. Christmas was in a few days and she was heading home in a few hours. She climbed the staircase into her dormitory, wondering why she and Draco ever made their meetings begin so early. They used to go on for hours, creating necessity for them to begin early so that they could get enough sleep before class, but now with them lasting maybe five, ten minutes, they could meet at two in the morning and still end at the same time as they used to.

Taking out her lucky deck of cards, Hermione began to remember the day she and Draco made their arrangement.

Hermione was in the common room at the coffee table fooling around with her lucky deck of cards beside Harry and Ron who were playing a rather intense game of Wizard's Chess. She looked around the room, wishing that someone knew how to play her secret fetish, poker. People knew how to play, but none of them were quite up to her standards, and she usually ended up winning every hand before her opponents grew tired. No one was quite as intense as her or took the game as seriously as it should.

As a child, Hermione went to visit her grandparents in Las Vegas one time and was immediately attracted to the card games, especially poker. She had a poker face no one could ever break and a way to discover anyone's tells, not that it was very difficult with the people she would play. The cards were what drew her to her love of math.

"Poker game tonight, room 326," she heard someone whisper in her ear.

By the time she turned around, there was no one there. Hermione turned back to the table, deciding what to tell Harry and Ron if they caught her leaving. They, of course, knew about her love of the cards, but never knew the extent. They thought it was just a little hobby of hers, something to relieve stress or to do when she was bored.

At nine o'clock, Hermione told the boys that she was exhausted and was going to turn in early. After bidding her friends good night, she ran to her bed to change into one of her favorite outfits; tight, dark blue jeans that were faded in the front and comfortable enough to sleep in, her lucky, black bra and her black camisole she was a few months away from growing out of. She threw on a pair of black, heeled boots, put her (under a spell) sleek hair into a half pony-tail and grabbed a red, button up shirt she left open to keep her warm. She put a spell over herself so that no one would see her leaving, grabbed her lucky deck and some money and went off in search of room 326.

By the time Hermione arrived at was nearly eleven and she saw Dean Thomas, Ernie Macmillan, two seventh year Ravenclaw boys (A/N I have decided that this is a not-HBP sixth year story), a Hufflepuff seventh year girl standing behind a Hufflepuff seventh year boy, a Slytherin seventh year boy and Draco Malfoy at the table. Quite a big group, especially compared to what Hermione was used to. Around the rest of the room were three more Hufflepuffs, two Ravenclaws, five Slytherins and two Gryffindors. Alltogether there were fifteen boys and five girls, not including herself. She never knew so many people played poker in the school.

"Five Knuts to get in," one of the Slytherins told her. She nodded her head and took five Knuts out of her bag.

"When's the next game I can get into?" she asked him.

"Most of us are out, and after this game if either Josh (he pointed to the Ravenclaw boy on the left) or Keith (the Hufflepuff with the girl) don't win, there'll only be five left,"

another Slytherin answered.

"I thought only most of you were left?" Hermione asked.

"The rest of us are just smart enough to leave before we lose it all," he told her.

"Big winner to beat is Malfoy," the Gryffindor girl said. "Nasty poker face."

Hermione looked over as Draco began sweeping the money from the middle of the table and Josh and Keith stood up. She walked over and took Josh's place beside the other Ravenclaw and Ernie so that she was right across from Malfoy.

"Who invited the mudblood?" Draco asked with a smirk as he shuffled the cards. "Not that I mind taking her money, but I don't exactly want her touching my cards."

"Then we can use mine," Hermione said, raising her eyebrow and taking out her deck. She began shuffling, showing off a few tricks and looked around the table. "So who's in?"

Everyone at the table and a few of the scattered people in the room watched her as she practically challenged Draco with her eyes. They watched for his reaction as he calmly watched her hands.

"Just make sure I don't' catch you cheating with those moves Granger," he said, tossing five Knuts into the center of the table, followed by Dean, Ernie, Jason (the Ravenclaw) and Riley (the Slytherin).

Hermione winked at him before dealing the cards so quickly no one had enough time to pick up their first card before their second landed right above it. After finishing, she threw in her five Knuts and picked up her cards.

Hermione won the first hand reaching up to ten galleons, fifteen Sickles and ten Knuts. She had caught on to Draco's bluff and beat him in the end with a pair of sixes.

The game went on for two more hours, no one wanting to miss Draco's defeat. Once in a while one of the other players would win, but the money was mostly either going to Draco, or more often Hermione.

"I'm out," Dean finally said when he was left with only two Sickles and a Knut.

Riley, Ernie, and Jason agreed, not having much left either.

"Well we don't have to play with money," Hermione suggested, not wanting the night to end.

"So what do you propose we do?" Draco asked, quite interested in hearing what the mudblood would suggest.

"Clothes, truths or dares," Hermione threw out before Draco agreed to the clothes. He was _not_ shy of his body and wanted to see Hermione squirm.

"As much as we would love to see Hermione strip, and I mean _love_," Ernie began, "it would be disrespectful and could-"

"I can speak for myself and I'm in for anything as long as the game continues," Hermione said with a smirk. The only time she would ever let herself get like this was when she was playing poker. "But just one game, I think. I'm not so sure you guys would be too comfortable in the cold room without any pants on." The game began,

Hermione dealt the cards and looked up. "It's a shirt to play."

Everyone at the table took off their shirts before picking up their cards as the rest of the room watched intently. Hermione only removed her red shirt and put it in the middle of the table on the top of the pile.

'Thank goodness I shaved this morning,' she thought to herself before looking at her cards. She looked at her hand. It was the best one she had gotten all evening; King of hearts, Queen of hearts, Jack of hearts, Ace of hearts and a four of spades.

Looking up, she could tell that everyone was satisfied enough with their cards as Ernie made the first bet with his sock, which everyone met. Dean decided to up the betting with the other sock and his second shirt, leaving everyone bare chested and Hermione in just her black, push up bra with a signatures from one of her favorite bands in silver writing on her left breast. Draco, quite surprised by Hermione's decision on undergarments (along with the rest of the room), put in his left shoe and turned to Riley, who didn't raise the pot. Jason decided to fold and Hermione closed the betting, putting her four down.

After everyone had drawn new cards, Ernie checked, Dean bet his other shoe, and Draco tried to bet his pants, but the girls in the room complained, saying that it was no fair to the girl in panties and not boxers, ending all betting.

Everyone showed their cards. Ernie had a pair of tens. Dean had a pair of jacks. Jason had been bluffing the entire time with eight as his highest card. Riley had a flush with high card King. Draco and Hermione looked at each other as they laid out the same hand in Hears and Clubs.

The room was silent as they each picked a card from the deck to decide who would win. Draco pulled out a three of spades and watched nervously as Hermione felt around, deciding which card to pick. When she pulled out a two of clubs, they both jumped up.

"What are you so happy about ferret?"

"Three beats two mudblood."

"Duce."

"No way!"

"Tie!" Dean said over the angry teens.

"Tie," Ernie agreed with Jason and Riley nodding in agreement.

Hermione squinted her eyes angrily and held out her hand. Draco sneered as he took her hand in his and shook.

"One more round?" Draco asked. "Truth or dare."

Hermione agreed and sat down, putting her camisole over her head. Everyone at the table sat around and took their clothes before Hermione dealt out the cards.

The truth or dare round went on for another hour until the only people left in the room were the people at the table.

"Guys, I think it's time to end this," Dean finally said as the little hand on his watch pointed to the two. Everyone agreed and stood up to leave. Hermione stayed behind a few minutes to fix up her outfit and make sure that she had all her money and her cards.

"Interesting night," she heard behind her after the door had closed.

"Quite," she agreed, recognizing the voice.

"If you want to do it again-"

"Room of requirement, midnight."

Draco looked around the dormitory as the memory of the poker night ended and he thought about why he ever did what he did. The next night was supposed to be poker, but ended up turning into nothing but frivolous truth or dare.

"This is stupid," Hermione finally sighed in the middle of the third hand.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked her.

"Come on, no one should ever take poker this seriously with only two people. And believe me, I never thought I would ever think that poker could ever be taken too seriously," she told him.

"Truth or dare?" Draco whispered.

"Truth."

"What was that writing on your bra last night?"

That was the way their truth or dare nights began. They decided to keep it a secret from the other poker players and only cancelled the nights for the two poker games since then so no one would wonder why the two best poker players didn't come to the games anymore. Both of them felt something in the beginning, and as they began to realize it they tried to make it go away, but couldn't find themselves to end it. Neither knew what was going on, but they were too deep in to risk trying to find out what it was. For now it was just an addiction that couldn't go away that neither of them was strong enough to try to fight.


	3. Charms Lesson

Chapter Three: Charms Lesson

Hermione read the little black book in her bed with the curtains drawn before going to sleep. She worked past the charm Draco had placed on the book to make it look like it was just names of girls. Now it showed a side of Draco she hadn't seen in quite a while.

She turned the last page and let out an exhausted sigh and rolled over to look at her watch. It was one in the morning. Closing the book, Hermione put it in the drawer of her nightstand and went to sleep.

Hermione woke up the next morning at the usual six o'clock. She took a shower, brushed her hair and teeth, put on her uniform and went down to breakfast with her books.

Harry and Ron were already at breakfast, saving a seat for her.

"Good morning, Mione," Ron said between bites.

Harry looked up at Hermione. "Are you okay? You look tired."

Hermione sat across from her friends and piled food onto her plate. "I'm fine, guys. Don't worry." She looked at the boys and took a bite out of her toast. "I was just up late last night reading."

"Well what else is new?" Harry joked.

Hermione rolled her eyes and finished her eggs and juice. "You night want to think of something new before class, which, by the way, is in fifteen minutes and I think I'm going to leave for now. I have a book to return to the library."

Ron opened his mouth, but almost lost a piece of bacon on the way and closed it. Hermione left in a flurry to the library and dropped her bag outside the door.

Draco hadn't had a good night's sleep. He tossed and turned all night, unable to fall asleep until he took out his oldest deck of cards and practiced tricks until he fell asleep and dreamed he was being chased by a giant queen of hearts. By the time he got down to breakfast, his day only got worse when he found out that there was going to be a poker game that night. When he saw Hermione drop her bag out the door, he got up and followed her, swiftly picking up her bag so no one would notice.

Hermione was in the library walking up and down the rows of books. She saw Draco come in out of the corner of her eye. The two looked at each other. It was like they had a hidden secret, something bigger than truth or dare.

"Here's your bag," Draco said softly, handing Hermione her bag.

She looked at him, unsure of what to do. Everything just felt so different like she couldn't comprehend.

"There's a game tonight," he told her.

"I don't think I'm going to go."

Draco smirked at her. "Me neither. It's not as much fun for the other people when we take all their money every game."

"What do you mean 'we'?" Hermione joked.

Draco let a smile pass his lips, but took it back after a split second. "So are we going to go tonight?"

Hermione looked at him. "I don't know." Draco felt a pang in his chest. "I was thinking about doing some homework."

"I'm behind in Charms," he blurt out without thinking.

"Then I guess I'll be there tonight." Hermione blushed. "That is, if you want some help."

The two were silent until the loud bell signaling the beginning of first period rang. Without thinking, Draco grabbed Hermione's hand and the two ran all the way to potions.

No one noticed when they arrived that they were holding hands, and they quickly separated to join their own friends.

Hermione was quiet all through Potions, which had become something normal lately and that everyone noticed. Most people thought that it was because she was tired of Snape's constant point taking and calling her a know-it-all, but Draco knew it was the same reason why he had stopped sucking up. They had changed.

"Hey Hermione," Harry said, catching up to Hermione on the way to lunch. He had just had another hour of being told he was going to die with Professor Trelawney.

"Hello Harry," Hermione said brightly. "Where's Ron?"

"He caught Ginny with a letter from me and she still refuses to tell him that they're from me," Harry sighed.

"I still don't get why you two just tell him that you two are a couple," Hermione told him with a smile. "I'm sure that he'll be happy that it isn't Blaise Zabini again."

Harry laughed. "Now _that_ was an interesting week."

"But at least it was only on a dare."

"Yeah. Those things are dangerous. I don't even get why people play that stupid game."

Hermione nodded quietly in agreement. She couldn't tell Harry that that game was the new payment for half of the poker games that went on in the school at night thanks to her. What would he say?

The two walked silently to the Great Hall. Harry picked up on Hermione's silence, but because they were only one corridor away from the doors, he didn't say anything.

Hermione took a seat across from Harry at the end of the table. She scanned the room, waiting for a signal about the game tonight. The two Slytherin boys from her first night looked up at her. One of them winked and the other one raised an eyebrow. It was so slick that if anyone even tried to watch them as they did it, they would think that it was just how they ate. Hermione blinked twice at them, letting them know that she had gotten the message.

By now, Hermione had learned that this little group had been going on for years and that the system was formed so that only serious card players would know about it. If the whole school knew, it would be like amateur night every night.

"So Hermione, what are you up to tonight?" Harry asked.

"I think I'm going to go to the library and do some work," she told him.

"You're always going out at night to the library. Why don't you stay in for once?"

Hermione thought for a minute, taking a bite of her sandwich to make it less obvious. "I would, but I found this great little spot where no one disturbs me, so I can get more done much quicker, "she lied.

"Oh really? Well would you mind helping me then?" He took a bite of his food. "I'm having trouble understanding what's going on in Herbology."

Hermione didn't even have to think for this one. "Why don't you ask Neville? I'm sure he'll be able to help you more than me and it will also give him quite a confidence boost?"

Harry thought about it. Hermione didn't think he was going to buy it. "That makes sense. Thanks."

"No problem Ha-" Hermione froze and watched Ron stalk into the Great Hall. His face was red and he was muttering something under his breath. When he sat down beside Harry violently, Hermione thought he was going to hit him. "Ron?"

Ron looked up at her before piling rood onto his plate. "If that girl thinks she can just go around with any boy that says that she's pretty, then she has another thing coming!"

Hermione and Harry looked at each other. Hermione wanted to burst out laughing when she saw the look of sheer horror on Harry's face. She looked up at the door and Ginny walked in, looking nearly as mad as Ron.

"Hermione, could you please tell Ronald to pass the chips?" She asked.

Harry took the chips and passed them to Ginny, scared shitless about what Ron would do if he knew.

"Thank you Harry."

"Well I think I'm going to make this more awkward for Harry and leave," Hermione said, rising out of her seat.

"Harry?" Ron asked. "Why would this be awkward for Harry? Why not me?"

"Leaving him here alone with two angry Weasleys," Hermione began, "the only thing that could make it more awkward is have another Weasley here." She walked quickly away before anything more could be said. She couldn't believe she almost let Ron know about Harry and Ginny.

Later that night, Hermione was in the back of the library. It was a little after eleven and she had to hide when Madame Pince closed the library. Tonight was going to be so weird. She had already planned he cover story in case she needed a quick getaway. She would say that she promised to show a friend a new card trick.

Hermione looked at her watch. It was eleven thirty already. She picked up her book and ran out of the large room. She felt her loose jeans begin to slip around her hips, but not fall, and her pink T-shirt being pressed against her skin between her stomach and books. Her hair flowed behind her in a ponytail as she ran quietly down the hall.

The door was there. Right in front of her. She cold always turn around, She could say that she thought they were going to meet in the library. Maybe she could just…oh no.

"I'll just say I thought we were supposed to mee-Hermione."

Hermione looked at Draco. He was walking out of the room, but stopped suddenly when he saw her. "Draco. Hi."

The two stared at each other, neither knowing what to do until Draco finally spoke. "So I guess we should get started." He stepped aside, holding the door open for her.

Hermione let her head fall a bit and stared at the floor as she walked into the room. It looked as it always did, but there was something different. She hadn't let any of it in in a while. Probably with her quick entrance and exits, she had forgotten the room. The door closed silently behind her and she realized how long she had been standing there.

"Er," she turned around and looked at Draco. She was about to ask him where he wanted to get started, but she just looked at him. "So how about that flying lesson you promised me?"

An hour later Hermione was hovering three feet in the air on Draco's Firebolt. They were on the Quidditch field laughing hysterically.

"How can you fall before even taking your feet off the ground?" Draco laughed out.

Hermione looked up, trying not to laugh with him. "It's really not that hard."

"You're annoying."

"No I'm not, I'm complicated." Hermione stuck her tongue out at Draco, who smiled at her. She was so cute and innocent.

"Very."


	4. Christmas Games

Chapter Four: Christmas Games

Hermione woke up on Saturday with a feeling of dread. She washed her face and looked in the mirror before heading down to the empty common room for Christmas morning.

It was Tuesday night, or, well, Wednesday morning, and she and Draco were at the Quidditch pitch finishing up her failure of a flying lesson. They were laughing about everything that happened that night and over the last few months when Draco stopped to look up at the stars.

Hermione stopped beside him and looked up with him. The snow began to gently fall onto them and she stuck out her tongue, hoping to catch a snowflake. Draco looked at how innocently beautiful she was, but realized that it was snowing and she was only in a T-shirt. He conjured up a robe, all of his being in his dorm, and put it over her shoulders.

The two locked eyes for a moment before Hermione hugged the robe from the inside and looked down.

"Won't you be cold?" She asked.

"The cold doesn't bother me," he said, shrugging.

"You'll catch your death," she whispered, looking up without moving her head.

"Maybe we should go inside then," Draco suggested quietly.

Hermione nodded and was about to start walking back inside the castle when Draco's broom appeared in front of her. She looked up at his devilish grin and took a step back, laughing.

"You can't possibly expect me to ride that all the way back to the Gryffindor tower," she said.

"You can do it," he told her.

Hermione cautiously swung her leg onto the broom and tried to get comfortable, but she soon felt Draco's warm body against her. He put his hands on her shoulders and relaxed her tense form. "Just relax."

Draco looked over her shoulder and put his hands over hers and led her up a few feet into the air before letting her take control, which she did poorly, but they still ended up outside her window.

"That was the shakiest ride I have ever taken Granger," Draco said with a smirk as she climbed off the broom and onto the windowsill.

Hermione wanted to give him a playful slap on the arm, but was afraid of falling and ended up sticking her tongue out at him.

"If you keep at that, I will have to bite off your tongue," Draco joked.

Hermione put her tongue back in her mouth, but said, "but then that would require your pureblood germs to touch my mudblood ones," in a mocking manner.

"And who said that I would mind that so much?"

The two looked at each other. They were so close that each breath felt as though they were in the others ear.

"Stay for Christmas," Draco said quietly. He didn't want her to leave.

"I signed up to go h-"

"Stay for Christmas," and then he was off, but not before Hermione heard him add the word that hit her like a ton of bricks, "please."

It was Saturday morning and the common room was quite empty. There was a first-year boy opening his presents with his friend from second year in one corner with Harry and Ginny at the fireplace talking in hushed tones.

"What are you two doing together?" Hermione said in her best Ron impersonation, causing the couple to turn around so quickly that Ginny almost fell out of her chair and Harry was in a complete state of shock.

When they saw it was only Hermione, Ginny slapped her on the arm and Harry leaned back in his chair trying to catch his breath.

"I think I just had a stroke," Harry said with is eyes wide open.

"Oh calm down you big baby," Hermione said. "Honestly, Ginny, I don't know what you see in him."

Ginny rolled her eyes and cuddled up to her boyfriend. She liked the time when they could be openly affectionate and together.

Hermione watched the couple together and sat in the armchair across from them. "So what are you two up to this fine morning?"

"We have decided to tell Ron about us," Ginny said nervously. She fingered a bracelet on her finger as she looked up the stairs to the boys dormitory.

"Ginny," Hermione exclaimed, first noticing the bracelet, "that's beautiful. Where did you get it?"

"From a wonderful boy who loves me," Ginny said with a sparkle in her eye. She looked up and kissed Harry affectionately on the lips.

"If you two don't stop that soon, you might not have to tell Ron because he'll find out on his own," Hermione said with a chuckle before getting up to grab her presents from her dormitory. "I'll be right down and then we can open presents together."

"Hurry up!" Harry called. "I want to see what else Ginny got!"

Ginny's eyes went wide with excitement and she jumped down to go through her pile of presents.

Hermione walked into her dormitory and picked up her heavy pile of presents. Most of them, she could tell, were books, but there were a few that looked like something different from her usual gift. She hurried to the door when something caught her eye. It was a single box on the windowsill she had climbed into only days before. She thought about how the had planned poker games for the rest of the week so that she wouldn't have to face Draco alone again. Without thinking, she put her presents onto her bed and walked over to the window, her eyes focused on the box.

It was a simple gift box; light blue wrapping paper with a blue ribbon and small enough to put in her pocket.

"HERMIONE GRANGER!" Hermione snapped out of her trance and looked out the door. "GET YOUR ARSE DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!"

Hermione shoved the box into her nightstand and picked up the rest of her presents from her bed and went downstairs.

Christmas day was pretty uneventful, but Dumbledore set up a sort of Secret Santa where each of the professors, instead of buying something for another professor, gave a present to one of the students whose name they picked out of a hat. There was an exact amount of students staying at the school as professors, which was more than usual.

Harry received a 'get out of detention free' pass from Dumbledore. Ron received a hat that was charmed to change your appearance from Professor Flitwick. Many of the students received girft like this, but Snape, of course, picked Hermione's name and Draco was picked by Trelawny.

"A free reading my dear," Trelawny told Draco as she tried to lead him to her classroom, but Draco was putting up a struggle to leave and blurting out every excuse he could think of.

Hermione giggled at the struggle while Harry and Ron tried not to snort into their pudding.

"Miss Granger," the trio turned around and looked up at the seething Snape, "if you are through with your laughing, it is your turn to receive your Christmas gift."

Hermione gulped and stood up, wondering what Snape's version of a Christmas gift for a Gryffindor was. She nodded her head and awaited the bag filled with manure or a potion to fix warts or something like that.

Snape handed her a small box with pink wrapping and a yellow ribbon. Hermione looked in awe as she pulled the yellow ribbon, undoing the perfect bow on the top of the box, and opened it up. Inside the box was a potion book filled with ingredients and instructions for complex potions Hermione had only ever heard about from footnotes in her books. She looked up at Snape, trying to think of a way to thank him.

"Thank you Professor," she finally got out. Snape gave her a curt nod of the head and walked off, leaving Hermione to show the present to her friends.

"Wow Hermione," Harry said, "that's really…not Snape. Are you sure it's not a prank?"

"No," Hermione replied. "Dumbledore would be furious. That's it. Dumbledore must have just had a say in it."

The trio continued with their lunches and literally raced up to the tower to change into warmer clothes before heading outside to start a snowball fight with the other students who stayed at the castle during the vacation. There were only eight students, not including the Slytherins, in the castle, two third-year Ravenclaws and one first-year and fourth-year Hufflepuff. Draco was the only other sixth-year student to stay behind, but there was a seventh-year and fifth-year, both from the poker group. The three passed the time playing poker. They knew that if they invited Hermione, then someone might know about what went on.

That night, after Hermione had brushed the snow out of her hair and taken a warm shower, she put on her black leggings and long red and white striped sweater with a black belt and boots. She was in the middle of applying her make-up when she though to herself 'Wait, why am I dressing up? It's only Malfoy.'

She took the small blue box from her nightstand and pulled gently on the ribbon. Inside was a simple silver locket in the shape of a heart on an even simpler silver chain. There was no note or signature or anything to let her know who it was from, or if it was even for her. She lifted the chain and admired the beautiful craftsmanship on the locket. She tried to open the locket, but it was sealed shut. There was probably a charm on it.

Hermione thought to herself before deciding to wear a silver necklace from her grandmother. It was a silver locket in the shape of an eight-pointed star with a ruby in the center on a long, silver chain. She looked at the clock and saw that it was almost midnight. She and Draco thought at first that it would be more fun to spend Christmas with their friends, but when they found out that the other Slytherin boys wanted to have a game, seeing how the group wouldn't be too big, and knew that because of obvious reasons, Draco wouldn't be able to get out of playing. Hermione could tell that Draco was growing bored of the weekly games. Because most of the games weren't played for money anymore, two more tables had to be conjured so that three games could go on at a time and that everyone could get the chance to play.

It was Hermione who suggested that they meet. She knew that Harry, Ron and Ginny would want to stay up all night together, but there would be time before. She only hoped that she wouldn't need to stay to help Ginny protect Harry from Ron.

Hermione looked at herself once more in the mirror. She had added a pair of earrings and smoothed her hair and with a little colored lip balm she was ready to head out.

"Where are you going all hot?"

Hermione whipped around to find Ginny on Harry's lap, once again, in the middle of the common room. She smiled and asked, "so I assume you two told Ron?" hoping to change the topic.

"Nope," Ginny giggled, shaking her red curls.

"Then why are you…"

"We came up with a plan," Harry said wit ha tap to his temple.

"We decided that if we could get Ron to think it was his idea, then maybe he won't mind!" Ginny squealed.

Hermione nodded in approval. She had to admit that it was a pretty good idea.

"So, again," Harry said, "where are you off to this late?"

Hermione tried to put on a poker face, but she was having trouble. She had originally planned on doing what she always did; hanging out with her friends, claiming fatigue, then sneaking of. This time, though, she spent too long getting ready and for once didn't have a plan.

"I was thinking of visiting Dobby and the other House Elves," she spit out. "Maybe a little Christmas party."

"Hermione, they don't want one," Harry tried to reason to her.

"Well that doesn't mean that I can't drop off some gifts," Hermione replied curtly before turning her heel and heading out the portrait hole.

As soon as Hermione got into the corridor, she scanned all directions before running off to the Room of Requirement.

I AM SOSOSOSOSOSOOOO SORRY THAT IT TOOK ME THIS LONG TO UPDATE. HONESTLY I THOUGHT THAT I ACTUALLY DID A FEW WEEKS AGO. PLEASE DON'T TAKE IT OUT ON THE STORY AND JUST SEND ME ANGRY THOUGHTS INSTEAD. REVIEW


	5. Stars in Your Eyes

Chapter Five: Stars in Your Eyes

Draco scanned the hallways as he made his way to the Room of Requirement. It was nearing the time he was supposed to meet with Hermione. He asked himself over and over why he told her to stay in the castle over Christmas holiday, but never liked any of the answers he gave himself.

He looked down and examined his outfit one more time before walking through the door ahead of him. Black pants and an un-buttoned green button-up shirt with a white T-shirt on underneath. What was he thinking? He was completely overdressed. Oh well, it was too late to change. He took a deep breath and opened the door.

Snowflakes were gently falling outside the large windows with the white and red curtains. There was a green couch and a wood coffee table in the middle of the room with two cups of hot chocolate, a bag of marshmallows and a can of whipped cream on top of a red rug and whit carpet. On the other side of the room was Hermione with her back to him hugging herself and looking at the Christmas tree. It was beautiful.

"Merry Christmas."

Hermione whipped around and smiled. "Merry Christmas."

They walked over to the couch and sat down on opposite ends.

Hermione finally broke the silence and said, "I have something for you," and grabbed a box from beside the couch.

Draco smiled and took the box from her hand. "Thank you."

Hermione hadn't expected anything from him, but was in Hogsmead and saw a small charm in a store window. It was a silver, eight-pointed star, like hers, with an emerald in the center, but the star was smaller than hers, which was almost the size of her fist. She had it put on a silver chain and had a snake engraved on the back.

"Well, erm, whose tu-"

"How about we don't play tonight?" Hermione and Draco looked at each other. "Maybe tonight we can talk."

"We've never done that."

"That's what will make Christmas a special day then."

Hermione blushed and looked at her hands in her lap that soon began to fiddle with her locket.

"What's in the locket?" Draco asked.

Hermione held it up to look at, resting it in her palms. "I don't know. It was my grandmother's. Actually her mother gave it to her. She said it was a picture of my grandmother when she was first born, but the lock got stuck a while ago. She also said that it was like a key to her music box (like in Anastasia)."

"It's really nice."

"Thank you."

"I have something for you too."

Hermione smiled and looked back up at him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, bigger than the one Hermione gave him. She opened it up and saw a deck of old playing cards.

"Thank you," she replied, not knowing what to say.

"Those aren't just playing cards," Draco explained quickly. "Those are the first cards I ever won a game with. It's my lucky deck. My gran gran used to use them for fortune telling, though I never knew how."

"Oh Draco, I can't take this." She tried to give him the cards back.

"No," he said, gently guiding her hands to her heart. "I want you to have them."

Now Hermione _definitely_ didn't know what to say. Here she had given him some necklace she bought in a store and he was giving her one of his prized possessions with sentimental value.

"I used to play a game with my cards when I was younger," Hermione said, putting the cards on the table. "My classmates would never understand my love for paper squares so I started telling them that they could also be used for fortune telling. Care to try?"

Draco leaned forward and looked at the cards. "Just as long as you don't go Trelawney on me."

Hermione blushed and began to shuffle the cards.

"Hermione?" Hermione looked up at Ron, who was sitting on the couch with a book in his lap.

Her face was flushed as she unwrapped the scarf from her neck and brushed the snowflakes out of hair. "Oh, hi Ron."

Ron leaned back on the couch and looked up at her. "So where have you been all night?" Hermione looked at her watch. It had taken her fifteen minutes to get back to the common room! She looked around the empty room and took a hesitant seat across from Ron on the couch.

"Nothing like snowing at midnight," Hermione sighed. She looked over at Harry and Ginny, who were on the other couch lying on top of each other asleep.

"They've been out since I got down here," Ron told her, following her eyes.

"They're kind of cute together," Hermione said, meaning it.

"Yeah, I guess." Ron crossed his arm and looked away. "Too bad Ginny's with that mystery bloke," he said sarcastically.

"Well what if she wasn't?" Hermione asked. "I mean, you know that she used to have feelings for him, and the four of us are really close."

Ron thought about this. "Well, he _is_ my best friend."

"And you know that he would never do anything to hurt her."

"I'll think about it," Ron said as he stood up and headed over to boys dormitory. "And I'll also talk to you when I can think straight about what you were just doing. Good night."

Hermione bid him good night and as soon as the door closed heard a whispered shriek.

"You were _wonderful_ Hermione."

Hermione turned around and looked at her two friends who were now looking at her as though she told them that all exams for the rest of the year were going to be cancelled.

"You two were awake?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Harry told her, taking Ginny's hand in his. "It was all part of the plan and you were perfect."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Whatever mate. Just make sure that Ron doesn't find out that he's a little too late."

"Well he won't know because tomorrow I will 'coincidentally' break up with the boy who's been sending me letters," Ginny said with a giggle.

"How long were you guys pretending to be asleep?" Hermione asked.

"Four hours," Harry said. "Ron came down a few minutes after you left. I think I actually fell asleep a few times bu-"

"Wait," Ginny interrupted, "you've been gone for four hours." She bolted upright. "Where have you been young lady?"

"I was outside," Hermione explained. "You heard me tell Ron."

"You mean lie to Ron."

"Good night guys."

"You can't keep it from us forever," Ginny almost called.

"Not if I can help it," Hermione said to herself.

Hermione stepped into the empty dorm room and sat on her bed, placing Draco's scarf on her bed and removed her boots. After a while of talking, Hermione took Draco outside where it had begun to snow. Two coats and pairs of gloves appeared for each of them, but Draco wished for a scarf for himself and Hermione wished for a hat. They went outside, but Draco soon saw that Hermione was getting cold and gave her his scarf. After they got back into the castle, they knew that someone would suspect something if they both had new jackets and a hat, so Hermione made them disappear.

Thirty Minutes Earlier

"Oh I just love the snow!" Hermione exclaimed for the umpteenth time in the past three hours.

Draco laughed at the girl as she spun around once more and fell into the snow. He looked down and his watch caught his eye. He jogged over to Hermione only to have her pull him into the cold powder once more. Their faces were inches from each other. Hermione could feel his warm breath on her cold cheek and released a sighing laugh.

Neither one spoke, but Hermione turned her head to look at Draco so that the points of their noses were almost touching. Without thinking, Hermione leaned in a little and pressed her lips to Draco's.

They stayed that way for the eternity of a hundred snowflakes to melt where their lips met until Hermione slowly pulled back and looked at him. "What was it you were coming over to say?" she whispered.

"Breakfast is in three hours," he whispered back. His breathing grew heavy and she licked her lips.

"We should get going," Hermione sighed.

Draco nodded and began to stand up, helping Hermione to her feet as well. The looked out at the sun's beams beginning to shine over the grounds. Hermione stood close to Draco and he moved in towards her as they watched the colors that began to fill the sky for a moment before Hermione whispered, "Merry Christmas Draco."

"We should get to our dorms," Draco said softly.

Hermione nodded and took his hand and led him to the front doors. Their coats were covered with snow, no matter how much they tried to brush it away.

"Here," Draco said. He removed Hermione's coat from her shoulders along with his and bundled them into a ball. "I'll take them back to the room. You get to your common room."

Hermione removed her hat and smiled. "Good night."

Draco smiled back at her and said, "good night." He started off towards the Room of Requirement, but turned around a few large steps down and turned around. "Merry Christmas."

Hermione watched as he disappeared down the hall before heading up to the Gryffindor dorms.

Present

As she removed her necklace, Hermione looked over at the locket and noticed something she hadn't seen before. There, on one the front of the locket, was an engraving. It was a queen of hearts. In her eyes and each of the hearts were tiny gems. Hermione examined the necklace for a few more minutes before placing it in her jewelry box and finishing getting ready for bed, falling asleep with the scarf by her side.


	6. A Dangerous Game

Chapter Six: A Dangerous Game

"Hermione, have you heard the latest gossip?" Ginny said from beside Hermione, coming out of nowhere.

"Do I ever even pay attention to it?" she joked.

"You may find this bit interesting," Ginny said, taking Hermione by the arm into the next empty corridor. "Ronald Weasley was seen speaking to Harry Potter about dating his sister."

The two girls squealed and held each other's hands. "I can't believe that worked last night!"

Ginny nodded and linked arms with Hermione as they continued to breakfast. "I was shocked as well, but it _was_ a pretty good plan."

Hermione had to agree. She would never have thought of something like they had, it was very creative. "Well you _did_ play to Ron's weakness," she whispered with a giggle.

"Making him think that he comes up with the most amazing ideas, making him think he's so great," Ginny laughed as they entered the corridor leading to the Great Hall. "I hope you know, though, that you're not getting away with last night. Are you ever going to tell me what happened?"

Hermione fiddled with her grandmother's necklace, which was back to its small size, that same as Draco's, and thought to herself. 'Should I tell her?' she thought.

"Good morning girls," Ron exclaimed before Hermione could answer. He took a seat across from Hermione and looked up at Harry, who was looking down at Ginny with the biggest smile Hermione had ever seen him with. "Has the post come yet?"

Hermione turned to Ginny, expecting a "knowing" grin about the expected "break-up", but Ginny couldn't seem to take her shining eyes out of Harry's. Hermione looked back at Ron, who was oblivious to his sister and best friend, apparently, and said "it's not due to arrive for another twenty minutes, why?"

"No reason," he replied, taking a sip of pumpkin juice.

Hermione rolled her eyes and went back to her breakfast. She fiddled with her grandmother's necklace. When she was in Hogsmead, she knew that the coincidence of finding an exact replica, save the gem in the middle, was too much to ignore, especially since they were both one-of-a-kind's.

"So where were you really last night?" Ron asked Hermione, snapping her out of her thoughts. This was enough to get Ginny and Harry to break their gaze and look at her. Ron looked at the couple and told them, "she came into the common room at three in the morning."

Harry smirked and crossed his arms. "I didn't know house elves partied _that_ much. Maybe we should join you next time."

Hermione continued to fiddle with her necklace. This was why she hated wearing jewelry, they were her biggest tell. "Well, after the party, it began to snow and I ended up going outside and thinking about the winters back home. I guess I lost track of time, because, before I knew it, breakfast was in three hours." She lifted her goblet to her lips and took a long sip, feeling her friends' eyes on her.

"If you say so," Ron said skeptically. He rolled his eyes and piled his plate with food. "How about we stop picking on Hermione, she tells us where she was while we eat, then we spend today finishing off the treats from my mum?"

Hermione giggled and continued with her breakfast.

The rest of the vacation went by quickly. Dumbledore threw a small party for everyone on New Year's Eve and Hermione was always watched closely by Ron, who had obviously given Harry and Ginny his blessing, as they were always together in some remote part of the castle. She was happy for her friends, but wanted to get time to herself, or at least some time where there wasn't someone constantly watching her.

Almost as soon as vacation ended, there was a poker game planned. Hermione accepted the invitation, as did Draco, but neither knew what was going to happen the next night. Hermione got held up by Ginny and didn't arrive until Draco decided to call it an early night.

At midnight the next night, Hermione peered down the hall and she saw a crack of light. She hugged her cloak tighter and lightened her steps. Peeking into the room, she saw Draco sitting on the couch waiting for her.

Draco jumped up at the creak of the door, but smiled when he saw it was Hermione. She removed her cloak and looked at him. He let out a soft smile and looked at her.

"Happy New Year," she said.

Draco chuckled. "New Year's Eve was almost a week ago."

Hermione smiled and looked down. "I didn't see you last night."

"I didn't see you."

"How about a make-up game then?"

Draco smirked and said, "good luck."

Hermione looked up and reached into her cloak. She pulled out the deck Draco had given her and began to shuffle and deal the cards. "What are we playing for?" She longed for him to say 'a kiss,' but knew that she wouldn't be that lucky.

"I'm broke, so how about we play it safe with truth or dare?"

"That's how this all started out."

Draco took her hand in his and gazed into her eyes. "Then it's not as safe as I though it was." He leaned in and kissed her.

"Hermione?" Hermione turned around and looked down the empty hall behind her. "What are you doing out this late?"

"Harry? Is that you?"

"Me too," she heard Ginny say.

Hermione put her hands on her hips. "Could you two at least take off the cloak if you're going to talk to me?"

When Ginny lifted the cloak, Hermione saw her friends giving her vigilant stares. Ginny had her arms crossed and Harry had a teasing smirk she couldn't hide from.

"Now tell us Granger."

"What are _you_ two doing out this late?"

Harry stepped between the two girls and looked from one to the other. "I see that we are going nowhere ladies, so I suggest a vote. All in favor of Hermione going first," he and Ginny raised their hands. "All opposed, okay. Hermione, you're first."

Hermione rolled her eyes and mumbled, "I had bad cramps so I went out for chocolate."

"All in favor of Hermione warning us before she goes first again-"

"Oh shut up Harry," Ginny said. "Hermione doesn't get her period for another week and I know because we get it at the same time so I can steal, er, supplies from her."

"So I got it early this month," Hermione told her friends. "You want to make sure?"

"No thanks and I say that we get back to our dorms before we get caught," Harry said, ushering the two girls and himself under his father's cloak. "Y'know, blokes dream about this-"

Hermione and Ginny hit his stomach at the same time and started walking back to the dorm.

"Good morning everyone," Hermione greeted her friends cheerfully the next morning. She placed her bag beside her and looked at the spread of food before them and began to pile her plate with everything in sight.

"Hungry?" Ron joked.

"What? Oh, yeah. Famished," she replied, not paying much attention.

"So what do we plan on doing once we get to Hogsmead?" Ginny asked after a few minutes of watching Hermione eat almost as much as her brother.

"Ron and I have to go to the Quidditch supply store to pick up a new playbook," Harry said.

"Maybe we should check out that new clothing store then Hermione?" Ginny suggested. She finished her orange juice and grabbed Hermione by the arm. "Come on guys. The carriages will be leaving any minute!"

Hermione grabbed a banana and they all followed the small redhead.


	7. The First Hand

Chapter Seven: The First Hand

"So who is he?"

Ginny looked Hermione straight in the eye and crossed her arms.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hermione replied, crossing her arms as well and smiled. "Gin, I would tell you if there was a guy."

"You're blushing!" Ginny shrieked. "I see you blushing!"

Hermione's face almost fell in shock. She felt her eyes tense up as she tried to keep them their normal size. "No I'm not," she rushed out.

Ginny rolled her eyes and led Hermione through the racks to the dressing rooms. "The guys can only be distracted for so long with Quidditch while they know we're clothing shopping."

Hermione laughed and stepped into one of the stalls. "You're a riot, now let me try this on. Oomph, never let me agree to try on a dress picked out by Ron again."

"I thought if was cute. Besides, you know he was only trying to distract himself while you and Harry 'said' good-bye. What do you think of this?"

Hermione stepped out from behind the big purple curtain and gasped. "Ginny, I _love_ it!"

Ginny was wearing a short, dark green, spaghetti strap dress. It was tight with a straight top and bottom at her upper-thigh and zipped in the back. Many girls would look like a slut with that look, but Ginny seemed to pull it off very nicely.

"When did you get such a great chest?" Hermione asked with a laugh.

"Oh shut up," Ginny said. "And what about you? You look absolutely gorgeous!"

Hermione turned around slowly, showing off the red tube dress she had on. It was a satin, cherry-red dress with a slight strip in the back and a thick black belt that went to her mid-thigh.

"I must admit," Hermione said, "it may have been an accident, but Ron has good taste."

"And you can wear that the next time you go out with your mystery man."

"You're not finding out who he is," Hermione said as she admired herself in the mirror.

"I _knew_ it!"

Hermione whipped around and looked, open-mouthed, at Ginny. She didn't know what to say.

"Please don't tell the guys," she pleaded. "He's just a friend I made this summer. I don't think I'm ready to talk about it though. I'm sorry."

Ginny nodded. "Okay, but only if you buy this dress, your dress and one more hot outfit to wear Thursday night."

"What's tomorrow night?" Hermione knew that there was going to be a game Thursday night and didn't know if she wanted to go or not until she saw Draco before.

"Tomorrow's the night we decided to throw a surprise party for the quidditch team, remember? We were going to come up with a little routine with the other girls and-"

"When did I decide to do a routine?" Hermione asked, sticking her head out from behind the curtain.

"Never, I was hoping to catch you off guard!" Ginny called from behind her own curtain.

The girls stepped out and continued to look at the rest of the clothes before making their purchases and heading off to meet the guys.

"So what did you ladies buy?" Harry asked as he slid into the seat beside Ginny.

"Tampons."

"Okay Hermione," Harry said in a serious tone, "you're just losing your speaking privileges all together."

The table laughed as their drinks came.

"Thanks for paying, Harry," Hermione said with a grin.

Hours after her return from Hogsmaed, Hermione found herself back in the hallways of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She's decided to wear her new shirt she'd bought while Ginny wasn't looking, hoping to look special for Draco. She'd gotten a red crop-top sweater, a while camisole, straight, black jeans, and black boots. Her necklace hit her chest with every step she took, but she didn't slow down.

At the end of the hall, she saw the painting. She paced three times and opened the door. It looked the same as always, but it felt different.

The doorknob turned and Draco walked into the room. They looked at each other, neither knowing what to say.

"Hi," Hermione finally said.

"Hi." They were quiet for another minute before Draco took her hands in his and led her to the couch. "Hermione, last night-"

"I hope you're not going to take it back."

Draco smiled and looked into her eyes. "I'm so happy you're saying that, because I was about to."

"Wait, what?"

He put his other arm around her and said, "I like what's happened between us, but I don't want what happened last night to make things weird, no matter how happy I am that it finally happened."

Hermione's face brightened up and was swallowed by the smile that took it over. She leaned in and kissed him passionately on the lips. When they separated, she said, "Wait, let's slow down a little."

"I'm not exactly the one making all the moves," Draco joked. "I'm sorry, Why don't we start tonight fresh?"

"Well what do you have in mind?"

Draco stood up and the lights in the room dimmed. Hermione heard music begin to play around them and a soft light filled the room. "May I have this dance?" he asked with an extended hand.

"Damn Granger, how many hands is that so far?" Riley exclaimed. "I'm out. If you need me, I'll be at the table across the room from this one."

Everyone left at the table laughed and watched Hermione take her money from the center of the table.

The weekly games had continued and Hermione had an in she never expected. She was respected and loved by all and the group became a sort of family. It was harder to spend time with Draco, though, because of her friends. They'd tried to see each other the night after they decided to see where things led, but Ginny insisted on Hermione participating in the routine until she gave in, leaving her up until one in the morning practicing.

Hermione wrote him a letter during a bathroom break to tell him what she was doing, though. Hermione was only able to get out for the game was because Dean refused to let up until Ginny let her help him with his Charms essay.

Hermione and Draco stayed at the same table the entire night, sending one another little tidbits like a subtle wink or a smile when no one was looking. They loved the excitement of hiding what was going on between them. They had ended up having a romantic evening until Hermione thought up a broom that they flew around the castle on. She showed him the parts of the Forbidden Forrest she had been in, where Harry conjured up his Patronus until she conjured a pizza pie and they watched the stars until the sun began to rise a few hours later. They didn't know where things were going to lead, but they looked forward to seeing what was going to happen. At the end of the night Hermione gave Draco a kiss on the cheek and almost floated back to her dorm.

"Hermione, I think we should start heading back to the house," Dean said at one-thirty.

Hermione looked up at Dean. She looked up at him and tried to think of a reason to stay. "Er, Dean, why don't we stay just another hour?"

Dean yawned and shook his head. "Hermione, I don't know about you, but someone's going to notice that we're not in the library."

Hermione sighed and looked over at Draco. "Well Malfoy, I guess I'll have to finish taking your money next week. Bring a bigger wallet next time, though. I have my eye on a cute pair of shoes."

"You might not want to keep taunting him, Hermione," Dean said as they tip-toed down the hall back to the Gryffindor tower. "We all love you, but he has more of a hierarchy."

"You know I'm just fooling around with him Dean," Hermione whispered back. "I think the corridor is this way."

"Well you might want to make sure he knows that. Word is that he had some fourth year thrown out when we were in second year."

"What did he do?"

"Draco or the guy?"

"Just give me the story."

"I've heard that Draco's been in this society since he was in first year," Dean began. "Some people don't get in until third year, like this guy. He beat Malfoy with a pair of threes, then made a show about it. The next week, he behaved like he was the King of the Cards, he even called himself that, but when he had Malfoy's, er, lady friend on his lap, it was too much. Malfoy had him thrown out."

"Lady friend?"

"Hermione, you know what Malfoy's like," Dean sighed. "We've all heard the rumors and almost all of them are true. He used to have a different girl by his side, if not on his lap or standing behind him. Everyone knew he had his eye on her, a second year, and was this close to having her on his arm, but the guy, he made his move and had her."

Hermione was quiet. She knew Draco had been a playboy, but a different girl every week? Was she just another girl? Maybe she should rethink their, er, whatever it was before it got too far.

"Does he do that often?" she asked Dean.

"It's only happened that one time, but everyone knows not to mess with him."

"SURPRISE! GOOOOO LIONS!"

Harry, Ron and the rest of the quidditch team looked around the common room with smiled.

"What is all of this?" Harry asked Ginny, who was standing beside him in her uniform.

She giggled and ran up the stairs where Hermione was waiting with Lavender, Parvati and six other Gryffindor girls. She threw off her uniform and jumped into her other one.

"Oy! What's going on up there?" they heard Ron call.

All of a sudden, the door swung open and the Gryffindor common room saw the ten girls run down in red and gold cheerleading uniforms waving matching pom poms in the air.

"Ready?"

"Okay!"

"Lions and snakes, the game of the year! Pump up the action! Get ready to cheer! We've got the power that you won't believe! Yeah, we're the Lions and we're tough, strong and mean!"

The room roared with cheer.

"YEAH LIONS!"

"GO GRYFFINDOR!"

"BEAT SLYTHERIN!"

The first game between Gryffindor and Slytherin was the next day and the girls had decided to have a sort of pep rally to get everyone riled up for the big game. The next day, the girls who weren't on the team were going to charm their uniforms so they could stay warm and stand on the edge of the bleachers and keep cheering like at a muggle school.

"Harry, have you seen Hermione lately?" Ron asked at a quarter to one. "And Ginny," he turned around and looked up at the ceiling, "if you're going to be sitting on my best bloke's lap, at least change out of the excuse for an outfit."

"Ronald, I was wearing less this summer at the beach," Ginny said. "Shut up."

"Wait, I thought she was with Neville," Harry said slowly.

"Neville said he saw her with you," Ron told him.

Ginny jumped up in Harry's lap and said, "she's in the library. I heard her say something about an essay she wanted to finish before the game tomorrow."

Ron rolled his eyes. "She's missing this great party to do work. Of course. Excuse me, I see a pretty little thing by the table, I think I'll go have a snack."

"What a pig," Ginny said to Harry when Ron was a few feet away.

"He's talking about the cake," Harry told her. "Besides, he has a thing for Lav."

Hermione had snuck out of the party at ten minutes to midnight. She didn't have enough time to change out of her uniform, but made sure to let Ginny know 'where she was going to be.'

Draco wasn't in the room by the time she got there, so she walked into the room and sat on the couch. After a few minutes, she grew restless and decided to walk around the room a little. Before she knew it, she heard the doorknob turn and almost fell over the table turning around to see who it was.

"Hermione?" Draco asked in a light tone.

Hermione jumped to her feet, hoping he hadn't seen her fall. "Hi," she breathed.

Draco looked down, trying to hide his smile. "Are you okay?" he asked, stretching his 'a.' "I heard a crash."

"No," Hermione replied as non-chalont-ly as she could. "Hello."

Draco shook his head and laughed. "Okay, let's stop. Let me make sure you're still in one piece."

Hermione sighed and looked up at him as he took the seat beside her on the couch. He pretended to examine her, looking closely at her led, elbow, shoulder, neck.

"I think you're going to live," he said, "but I think you have a little something over," he kissed her lips, "here."

They smiled at each other and Hermione giggled. Draco rolled his eyes and leaned back on the couch.

"Total mood killer," he sighed. "Though the outfit almost makes up for it."

"Oh shut up." Hermione giggled again and leaned into his chest. "I'm sorry, but it's just a little, er, amusing."

"What is? Kissing?"

"Well, kissing when you combine it with your sworn enemy for the past six years."

"Sworn enemy?" Draco stroked the back of her hand with his finger and looked into her eyes. "And we haven't quite been enemies for the past few weeks."

Hermione smirked at this and sighed. "Oh come on. Don't tell me that it doesn't feel a little weird."

"Hermione, I want this," he told her. "I don't know about you, but I've really enjoyed whatever it was between us and I'm happy about what happened over the past week."

"Me too, I'm just still taking it in, though." She looked up at him and leaned back on the couch. "But I really do want to see what happens."

"Well let's see."

"Ah! Draco, no!"

Draco had leaned over on Hermione and began to tickle her, but also putting his lips to her neck to do so along with his fingers to her stomach.

"I'm leaving now," Hermione said at one-thirty in the morning at the door. Draco had his hands on her waist and they were kissing with every other sentence. "We have to get to our dorms." kiss

"But I like you more than my housemates." kiss

"But I would like to get to sleep." kiss

"I'll sleep through Potions." Kiss

Hermione giggled and opened the door from behind her. "One more and then I'm leaving." She leaned in and kissed Draco passionately on the lips, which he returned eagerly. "Wait," she separated from him and opened her eyes wide.

"What is it?" he asked her, a bit worried.

"I don't know," she said. "I feel like, I don't know. What is this?"

Draco smiled. He put his hand to her cheek and stroked her face gently. "Hermione, you're beautiful, intelligent, amazing, this is me wanting to see if you're willing to-"

"To sneak around with you?" she half-joked.

Draco smirked. "Well if you want to make it more exciting."

Hermione laughed. "I'm serious. Draco-"

Before she could finish, Draco gave her a hard kiss on the lips. "I'll see you tomorrow night." He walked around her and out of the room.

Hermione leaned against the door when it closed and closed her eyes. She couldn't believe things were progressing between the two of them so quickly. With a small squeal, she relived the evening. They talked all night, held hands, it was nothing like she'd expected. She couldn't wait until tomorrow.


	8. Queen of Hearts

So so sorry for taking so long to update. Please enjoy this and I promise to be quicker in the future

Chapter Eight: Queen of Hearts

Hermione woke up the next morning in utter bliss. She moaned happily into her pillow as she stretched her body.

"Wake up Hermione!"

Hermione jumped out of her bed and fell onto the floor with a 'thud.'

"What time is it?" she mumbled unto her floor rug.

"It's almost time for the game!" Parvati cheered. "Come on! Get ready! We're doing hair and make-up in the bathroom, then you can do the spell before we head out!"

Hermione heard them leave the room and slowly stood up and walked over to get dressed. She pulled on the uniform she'd been wearing when she saw Draco the night before.

She sighed at the memories. It was an amazing night that she didn't want to end.

She walked over to her jewelry box and looked for the necklaces she had conjured up for herself and the girls. They were small, gold megaphone with a tiny ruby and small engraving of a lion's head. On one side of the megaphone, the word 'Gryffindor' was engraved in script, and on the other side was each of the girls' names.'

Hermione was about to close the box when a small glimmer caught her eye. She pulled out the silver locket she had received on Christmas. It still had the queen of hearts on the front, and the clasp still wouldn't open.

"Hermione!"

Hermione shoved the necklace back into her jewelry box and slammed it shut just as Ginny, Lavender and Parvati burst into the room with four other girls.

Twenty minutes later, seven girls left the sixth-year girls' dormitory with their hair in red and gold ribbons and gold necklaces around their necks. They all had either a 'G,' lion's head or red and gold stripe (one red line over a gold one with glitter) painted on one of their cheeks, including Ginny, who had already left to get into her uniform.

"Hermione, these necklaces are _adorable_," Parvati squealed.

"Thanks," she replied with a small glow. She kept wondering what Draco was going to think when he saw her on the stands. "Um, let's put the spell on before we leave. It might be chilly in the corridors."

Hermione did the spell and they all made their way to the Quidditch pitch and up to the bleachers where they were going to be cheering.

As they neared the doors leading outside, Hermione, who had to stop to re-tie her shoe, was pulled into a deserted corridor nearby.

She was about to scream when she felt a pair of familiar lips on hers. She smiled and let him kiss her before she pulled away to say 'hello.'

"You taste like strawberries," Draco said before she could say anything.

Hermione smiled and rolled her eyes. "You should be getting ready," she told him.

"And miss seeing you in this lovely outfit? Never."

Hermione giggled. "I was wearing the same thing last night."

"Well I like it more and more every time you wear it, wait," he raised one of his eyebrows at her, "you _did_ wash it, didn't you?"

Hermione gave his arm a playful slap and smiled at him.

"So," Draco continued, playing with Hermione's necklace, "how about a good luck kiss before you go cheering for the other team?"

Hermione gave him a look before saying, "I don't know. I kind of want my own house to win. Besides, if you win, you might actually think that you have a chance at beating me in poker."

"My favorite game."

"Hm, I sort of prefer truth of dare."

"Well, I kind of prefer this."

Draco leaned down and kissed her again. His fingers went from her necklace to her waist as she put her hands on his shoulders and kissed him back.

"You save those lips for me after I beat your friends," Draco said as they separated.

"But then we may never get to kiss again," she replied coyly.

"Hermione!" they heard a girl from around the corner.

"Where could she have gone?" another girl asked.

Hermione kissed Draco one more time before starting to run off, but Draco held on to her wrist and pulled her back gently.

"Not even a hug for good luck?"

"What can I say?"

"That you're a very mean girlfriend."

Hermione froze as she looked up at him. They hadn't discussed that the night before. "Girlfriend?"

"I can't get much luckier than that." He kissed her on the lips and ran down the opposite direction that the voices were coming from.

"I'm his girlfriend," Hermione whispered to herself.

"What did you say?"

Hermione turned around and say Lavender and Parvati.

"I lost my friends, but there you guys are! Where did you go?" Hermione lied.

"We went to the bleachers, but you'd disappeared, so we came back to look for you," Parvati said.

"Well, I just tried my shoes, and the next thing I knew you were gone."

"Whatever," Lavender said. "Let's go."

"I can't believe the game was so close!" Ginny exclaimed as she entered the common room.

"I know," Harry agreed, putting his arm around her and shaking his head. "There was something about Malfoy today. I couldn't even believe I caught the snitch before him."

"Well thank goodness you did," Ginny said. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "My hero."

Ginny, Harry and Ron sat down on the couches and chairs in the common room with the rest of their housemates. Some of the girls were still wearing their uniforms, but they'd all decided to keep their necklaces. When they saw the team sit down, they gave them a round of applause.

"Thanks," Ginny said, feeling a slight tinge of red on her cheeks. "Great cheers, by the way. It was great."

"And so are the uniforms," Ron added.

All of the girls threw pillows at him, burying him in a pile on the floor and filling the room with laughter.

"So I say we celebrate this victory with a party!" Harry said, standing up. Music began to play and food appeared on tables. "What the-did you girls plan this?"

Six girls stood up and put their hands on their hips.

"G"

"O"

"L"

"I"

"N"

"S"

"Where's Hermione?"

"You were amazing!" Hermione exclaimed as she jumped into Draco's arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. "We still beat you, but-"

"Hermione," Draco interrupted, "about what I said before-"

"You're taking it back?"

Hermione slid down from Draco's hold and took a step back.

"No, that's not at all what I meant," Draco insisted, taking a step forward. He put his hands on her waist and looked into her eyes. "Hermione, I saw that I surprised you with what I said, and I didn't want to scare you away, but I can pretend that it never happened if that's what you want. I don't want to, but-"

Hermione had pressed her lips against his. They began to kiss in the middle of the room that had come to feel like their own island.

"Hermione Granger," Draco whispered with his forehead pressed against hers, "I don't know what you've done to me, but I don't want it to ever stop."

"I don't want it to end."

They moved in one swift motion to the couch where they continued to kiss. Hermione had changed into a pair of red leggings and a black sweater, which she felt Draco's hand begin to climb up.

"Draco, stop," she said.

Draco pulled away from Hermione and looked at her. "I'm sorry Hermione. I didn't know-"

Hermione giggled. "It's okay Draco. I just want to take things slow between us. My ex, well, I thought that it would help if I went at his speed, and I didn't mind it, but when it ended, it hurt so much because I did so much with him."

Draco sat up, her eyes not leaving her. "What happened?"

Hermione sat up and turned to face Draco on the couch. She took a deep breath and said, "Our relationship was physical from the beginning. It began when one of my poker buddies took me to a pool hall. I talked to him all night, and we really hit it off. He was actually a classmate of the friend I was with. We played pool together for two weeks before he asked me to be official. That night, well, I did something a little new. The thing is, during the summer and vacations when I'm not here, I'm completely different. I love who I am when I'm here, but it's just, I get to be a little more wild when I don't have to keep up the 'bookworm' appearance. I am a bookworm, but-"

"Hermione, you're rambling," Draco told her with a laugh as he played with a piece of hair on her shoulder.

"Sorry. Anyway, we were together for six weeks when we realized that we'd done everything except sex. I told him that I wanted to, but wanted to know him a little longer before we did that. That night we went to a party. I lost him for a while, but found him bragging to his friends about what we'd done." Hermione let out a deep sigh. "It's not that he was talking about it, but that he was _bragging_. I felt worthless when I heard what he said; he'd always been so sweet. When we talked about it later, he told me that he loved me. I said that if he loved me, he wouldn't have behaved the way he did with his friends, but it was an excuse. I hated keeping this secret from him, being a witch, and didn't want to hate him for what he said. I ended things that night. It hurt every minute I was away from him because, even though it was such a physical relationship, it was sentimental."

Draco waited a few moments before saying anything. That was a story he never thought he'd ever hear come from her. He put his arms around her and said, "That was the most confusing, and messed up thing I've ever heard."

Hermione laughed. "Yeah. I fall for a guy, have a physical relationship with him, end up feeing sentimental and feeling bad about a secret, then use one guy moment as an excuse to end it, and end up upset because it's over."

"You are one strange girl, but I can't help but smile when you're around, and not just at."

Hermione smiled and rested her head on his chest. "If you did laugh at me, I'd have to laugh at you. I've heard a few stories about you."

"I'd be shocked if you didn't."

"Well, today was a spectacular story," Hermione said, sitting up and looking at him. "That game was just, I don't even know what it was. It was all I could do not to cheer every time you made a spectacular move or play. It was just…"

"Spectacular?"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Well what about the most surprising story: Hermione Granger, the cheerleader?" Draco joked. "Or was it 'Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy's cheerleader girlfriend'?"

"Hm, I think it was the second one," she said before kissing Draco on the lips.

Three hours later, Hermione and Draco were saying goodbye at the door like before, not ready to leave.

When she was about to step out into the hallway, Hermione pushed Draco into the room and closed the door. "Draco, I was talking to Dean on our way back from a game a little bit ago, and he warned me not to give you a hard time."

"He told you about what happened with that second year, didn't he?" Hermione nodded. Draco wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her head. "I would never do anything like that to you."

"But people will know that something's up."

Draco kissed her on the lips. "Let them think. This is between you and me. And if you want them to know, I'll shout it from the rooftops."

A small smile came to Hermione's lips. She felt the same way, but wasn't ready.

"Why don't we wait a while?" she suggested. "But we can also lighten up a little at the games." She kissed him one more time before slipping out the door and walking back to her dorm.

Hermione and Draco kept their relationship a secret for weeks. They calmed down during the poker games, but slow enough so no one questioned it. Every other night would be spent together. They would talk, kiss, and anything else that would pop into their heads.

Ginny was always asking Hermione about her mystery boy and she, Harry and Ron finally gave up on finding out where Hermione was Christmas Eve.

Hermione saw that Draco would wear the necklace she gave him for Christmas under his shirt. She sometimes wore her grandmother's necklace as well, but she had to be careful that no one realized that it was the same as Draco's.

On their one-month anniversary, which Hermione wasn't sure Draco knew it was, she spent the entire day planning her outfit until she was caught by Ginny.

"What are you doing?"

Hermione whipped around and felt her face turn red. "Ginny! What are you doing in here?"

"Helping you pick out your outfit," Ginny said with a simple smile. She walked over to Hermione's clothes and began to look through the neat piles. "And don't wonder how I know, I am, after all, the best girl friend a bookworm could ask for," she joked.

Hermione laughed with her and slid down to her bed, taking her favorite stuffed animal in her arms.

"So what's his name?" Ginny asked, pulling out a black flowy-top.

"Well-"

Ginny sighed and turned around, handing Hermione a pile of clothes to change into. "Hermione, we're best friends," she said as Hermione began to change into the outfit she picked out. "I don't want to push you, but I feel like you're keeping us out of a part of your life."

Hermione turned around, showing off her outfit. She was wearing straight, white pants with the black top and a white bra and black flats, Ginny walked towards her and added a white cap, red lip stick, and black eye liner and mascara. "Gin, I would never keep you out of my life on purpose."

"Then why are you going out with a mystery boy that none of us know about?" Ginny began to play with Hermione's hair, putting it in a side ponytail that rested over her shoulder.

"Ginny, I-this-"

Ginny listened to Hermione search for an answer and looked through her jewelry box. "Hermione," she gasped, "what's this?"

Hermione turned around and saw Ginny holding up the silver locket that had fallen, forgotten, to the bottom of the jewelry box. She took a step forward and let the locket fall into her hand.

"Is this the reason why you've been sneaking off?" she asked. "Do you even know what this is?" Ginny asked when she saw Hermione's curious face.

"A locket?"

Ginny took Hermione's hand and led her onto the bed. "There's a secret club in the school. Very few people know about it. My mother was a member for a few months and warned me about it when I asked her to teach me to play cards." She took Draco's deck out of the bag on the nightstand and began to shuffle them, and quite skillfully. "She got into a little trouble with a guy there-"

"Money?"

"Boyfriend." Ginny began to do some tricks. "Long story short, she became the loveable Molly Weasley you know today.

Hermione looked around the room, refusing to make eye contact with her friend.

"You know about it, don't you?" Ginny asked, finally realizing. "Hermione answer me!"

"I know about the games," Hermione finally said. "I've been going for the past few months." She looked down into her hand. "I never knew anything about the necklace, though. It just appeared on Christmas."

Ginny shook her head. "Most members, after they are finally trusted, sometimes it takes a while for a full acceptance sometimes, are given something to acknowledge it. Usually it's a box to keep a deck of cards in with the seal on the inside."

"So this is the seal?"

"Usually it's the Ace of Spades inside a diamond," Ginny explained, "but there is always one player, the greatest one there, who is like the king or queen. They control who stays and who goes. Sometimes, when the person doesn't stand out much, there's either a competition, or it can be passed down from one person to another. There's a lot more, but whoever is the king, or queen, is given something else. This locket, my mother was given a similar one. She was the king's girl. He gave her a locket with a heart on it. She told me that when he was the king, he would wear a ring with the imprint of a card, the King of Clubs. The spade is the overall symbol of the group, but club is king and, well, heart is queen. If there is a new king or queen before the old one graduates, they may have a tournament if the new one calls for it, or they may decide to wait until, I'm boring you, aren't I?"

Hermione looked down at the locket. "I-but-how do you know all of this? No one told me any of that, and I've been going for months."

Ginny sighed. "Stories are told, facts are known. Most poker players watch and listen for tells, but the true player knows to look for more. Mum always told me that I had the knack, but warned me to never let anyone know. She didn't want me in that world."

Hermione thought about what Ginny had just said in silence. She opened the locket and looked inside. On one side were the four suits, probably painted on. On the other side was a club made of, what seemed to be, onyx.

"That's strange," Ginny said, snapping Hermione out of her thoughts. "Usually the locket has another card on that side, not the club. My mum's was designed by her boyfriend."

"What?"

"He was the king. She was his girl. He gave her the necklace so everyone would know."

"Did she tell you all of this?"

"She told me a lot, but I had to find out some from other people, even though they don't know," she finished with a grin.

"Then how do yo-"

"I was taught by Molly Weasley. There is nothing I don't know and can't figure out." Ginny put the necklace on Hermione's neck. "You were chosen as the queen, so flaunt it, be careful, and have fun. Oh, and take me to the next game."

Hermione thanked Ginny as she helped her sneak out of the common room.

Draco looked up as Hermione stepped into the room and smiled. "So I see you finally decided to wear your necklace."

Hermione accepted his kiss 'hello' and said, "You knew about it?"

"Who do you think sent it?" Draco asked with a smirk. He led Hermione to the couch and turned around to pick something up.

"Ginny told me it meant that I'm some sort of queen-"

"Ginny?" Draco asked, flipping around. "As in Ginny Weasley? How does she know?"

"Her mum was in it and warned her against it when Ginny flaunted her knack at cards," Hermione explained, trying not to get Mrs. Weasley in trouble. "She's actually quite good with a deck. I was thinking of maybe bringing her next week."

"Well, if you trust her, I trust her."

Hermione smiled. "Thank you. Wait, _you_ sent the necklace?"

Draco put his arm around Hermione. "Well of course. You are a sexy (kiss), brilliant (kiss), cunning (kiss), perfect (kiss) card player (kiss), and the perfect queen."

"How was I made the queen? Who was the queen, or king, before I came? Why haven't I seen anything like this with any-"

"Hermione, calm down," Draco soothed. "After your second game, I was with the seventh years and they were all saying how great you were. I'm the king, but they also have seniority on me. What I didn't tell them, though, was that I wanted you to be the queen."

"B-"

"I told them that I refused to give up my position and threatened their membership, but as we grew to know each other I, I don't know, I fell in love. I sent you the necklace, not because of the group, but because you are a queen and the, don't laugh, queen of my heart."

Hermione looked away so he wouldn't see her laughing, but two snickers in, she realized what she said and turned back around, her eyes wide open. "F-fell in love?"

"Hermione-"

"Draco, i-it's been a month-"

"One month today."

She took in a deep breath and looked at him. "I've loved you since the moment you taught me to fly."

"Really?"

Hermione nodded. She pulled Draco into a kiss then pulled apart. "Tell me about yourself. How did you come to play poker?"

Draco looked at her and smiled. "On one condition." He pulled a small box from behind the couch and gave it to Hermione. "Open it."

She took the box from his hand and tried to open it, but the top wouldn't budge. She looked at the beautiful craftsmanship on the outside. It was a wood box with designs all along the sides. On the front was a small, silver latch with the imprint of a star.

"I had it made for you. You can use the necklace to open it. The one like the necklace you gave me, I mean," he explained. "It's a music box."

Hermione smiled. "It's beautiful."

"Happy one month Hermione."


End file.
